Update:April 1, 2010

Workshop Report

CHINA REPORT

As a developing country, China has made remarkable progress in Energy Efficiency, however difficulties abound. At this juncture, I would like to lean back a little so as to present you with the “greater picture” of China’s energy saving before proceeding to the details of China’s difficulties in this respect. Recognizing that economic prosperity should be attained without jeopardizing the environment, the Chinese Government has made environmental protection and sustainable development its basic national policies. Accordingly, relevant legislation and environmental management system has been installed at various levels to harness economic activities.

China’s heavy reliance on fossil fuel made the country’s conversion of energy consumption model VERY difficult. In its attempt to develop clean energy, the Chinese Government has spent a large proportion of its budget on developing hydropower (e.g. the world known Three Gorges Project), wind power, solar power, etc. in different places of varied topographical features. However, these noble efforts have been greeted with limited success for want of financial assistance and truly cutting-edge technologies. Shortage of funds is a major difficulty in promoting energy efficiency. Equipment and technologies for energy saving and pollution management today are all needed to be introduced under the commitment of various MEAs.

China is a country with coal as its main energy source. 70% of the smoke and dust in the air and 90%of the sulfur dioxide emission comes from burning coal. We are not adequately equipped to monitor the discharge of major pollutants and to desulfurize the smoke and gas. China set up the “National Leading Group for Promoting and Planning of Technology for Using Clean Coal” in August 1995. The large-scale demonstrating power plant of circulating water-flow bed and the circulating water-flow bed boiler for power-station built by Chinese and foreign joint venture have been promoted the application in mining areas and power stations burning faulty coal. It is important that financial and technological resources may be channeled to the promotion capacity building for the environment-friendly use of China’s coal resources.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, China has spared no effort to develop Clean Energy. As is illustrated earlier, technical and financial supports from the international community are necessary to make the application and research of geothermal power, solar energy, wind energy, oceanic energy and other new energy sources really successful. China has made demonstrable progress in energy reuse and recycle, however, efforts in this front need to be facilitated through financial and technical support from the developed world. China is working positively on the domestic arrangements to provide favorable conditions for international technical and financial investments.

The acquisition of technological production capacity is associated with the flow of different kinds of knowledge and expertise: A) transfer of technological production facilities; B) know-how needed to operate and maintain the new system installed. Such knowledge and expertise could be transferred through training and information services but could also be developed through on-the-job learning. C) knowledge and expertise for implementing technical change which involves both the understanding of know-why of the technological system itself as well as the various techno-managerial capabilities needed to evaluate and transform existing facilities to meet new and innovative operating conditions. Genuine technology transfer requires the eventual flow of all three categories of capacity and a gradual build-up from A to C. it is category C that enables a country to acquire technological dynamism and be able to fully utilize both public domain and proprietary technologies.

Insufficient communication and cooperation may reduce the opportunity for us to increase and enrich our experience in pursuit of beautiful and comfortable working conditions. We should take all the opportunity to expand our channels of cooperation with the international community, seek international support, attract foreign investment, and advance science and technology.

INDONESIA REPORT

Difficulties in Implementing Energy Efficiency will be addressed:

• Perception that Indonesia rich with natural resources including energy resources;
• Indonesia has put energy conservation/energy efficiency on its general energy policy but still very broadly mentioned;
• Indonesia has established a state owned energy conservation company, and focused on conducting study on potential energy efficiency and energy audit, however, the customer is still very limited and its recommendation not necessarily implemented continuously by its customers;
• No real target is set for certain period of time on energy efficiency;
• No attractive incentives are offered to those industries (manufactures and transportation sectors) implementing energy efficiency;
• No national-wide campaign on household sectors to promote energy efficiency (energy efficiency/conservation campaign has been launched since 90s, but with limited scale and the progress is not clear);
• Limited financial sources to support energy efficiency;
• Government still provide considerable subsidy for public needs that may restrain energy efficiency program;
• Limited human resources within government and industrial sectors to develop energy efficiency measures; and
• The equipment on the market is, to many extent, not supportive of energy efficiency (no energy efficiency labeling on the appliances; if any, the language is not very much understandable for most of household users)

PHILIPPINES REPORT

Generally, the issues on the implementation of energy efficiency, environmental management systems, cleaner production/green productivity and clean development mechanism fundamentally are similar in nature. These include issues related to policy and institution, financing and economics, and technology (both software and hardware). These issues are discussed below:

POLICY AND INSTITUTION

• Lack of resources (funds, equipment and personnel) for implementation of environmental regulations;
• Resistance to change on the part of policy makers and industry personnel, both management and workers;
• Lack of awareness on the part of industry and the public, in general, on the environmental and health impacts of their activities;
• Poor coordination among stakeholders in the implementation of environment, technology, trade and industry policies;
• Need to integrate environmental management concepts in the school curricula, including management, accounting, and engineering degrees;
• Lack of resources for service providers on EMS and CP/GP on the government side;
• Lack of policy to address the environmental impacts from households

FINANCING AND ECONOMICS

• Potential high cost of energy efficient and clean technologies;
• Lack of information on availability of funding schemes for CP/GP;
• Some banks and industries perceive that investments in energy efficient and clean technologies present a high financial risk due its innovative nature;
• Some CP/GP investments are not sufficiently cost effective, as compared with other investment opportunities, given present resource prices, e.g. water in some areas are relatively cheap or at times, free);
• Present accounting systems of companies do not internalize the cost of the environment;
• Lack of market-based incentives for industries to pursue EMS and CP/GP

TECHNOLOGY (Software and Hardware)

• Lack of information on energy efficient and clean technologies;
• Lack of credible information on energy efficient and clean technologies;
• Verification of technology performance is still in its infancy stage;
• Lack of affordable pool of experts and service providers on energy efficient and clean technologies;
• The above issues may be addressed by an energy efficient and clean technologies clearing house but there is a need to identify resource organization for this purpose;
• No local, independent certification body on ISO 14001 certification;
• Lack of technologies and practices to collect baseline information on environmental performance indicators;
• Need for capability building on specialized topics on energy efficiency, EMS and CP/GP such as life cycle assessment, eco-labeling, alternative energy sources, etc.

THAILAND’S REPORT

Lack of Public Relation on Energy Promotion and Conservation Act.

• Difficulties involved in regulation and rule from government;
  • A) According to Energy Conservation and Promotion Act has been promulgated and affected since 1992, there are some difficulties, which mostly involved in regulation, rule and procedure. Following those regulation and procedure has been found too difficult;
  • B) Lack of qualified Person Responsible for Energy (PRE). Most of Energy consumer which consume large amount of Energy did not have qualified person appointed to be Person Responsible for Energy (PRE) or the staff who take care of Energy Conservation lack of experience and skill;
  • C) Awareness and consciousness of people not enough;
  • D) Awareness and conscious of people is major barrier for Energy conservation activities implementation. To overcome this barrier; Government have to promote and stimulate people or main Energy Consumer to recognize the energy saving program;
  • E) Downturn is Economic situation. A downturn has taken away some source of capital for Designated factories and buildings to invest in Energy Conservation Project; and
  • F) Soft loan should be supported to achieve energy saving program.

Newer technology was not introduced or approved by government for Energy Efficiency and Environmental Management System. The Heavy Industries can not treat the unused material properly due to existing regulation not allow. For example; In Power plant and Steel rod mill,

• Seawater scrubber for flue gas was not approved yet.
• Seaside reclaiming application is never use.
• Steel slag is controlled wasted as it was using for road pacing abroad.

Too slow tracking and controlling by Government or not up to date Technology.

• The Heavy Industries is growing faster than Government knowledge such as FGD application, secured landfill technology for waste treatment and steel mill slag disposal;
• The approval process of front end Government Body might be so late;
• Oversea support to Government is not enough available.

For new or expansion factories must be issued EIA proposal( EIA have to run by Consultant Company was registered by the government office) submit to Government Officer for factory permit.

• The EIA proposal cost is very expensive;
• The Register consultant is not available enough;
• The EIA cost was not support or subsidy from Government;
• More Consultants should be promoted.

For existing companies must be run the environment assessment and report by the regulation, such as;

• Waste water by every month;
• Emission rate all chimney for dust, SOx, NOx every six month;
• Working place for dust, SOx, NOx every six month;
• Community place dust, SOx, NOx and noise every six month;
• The assessment report is so expensive;
• Some company and factory may run emission by illegal;
• The equipment and technology for pollution control is so expensive;
• The Government was not support or subsidy to private sector strong enough;
• The penalty was not suitable applied to bad factories;
• The idea of more pollute more pay is not applied yet;
• Public hearing should be new method to approach to regulation process.

VIETNAM’S REPORT

EE	EMS	CP/GP	CDM
Financial Technology Knowledge Awareness Information Policies	Awareness Knowledge Technology Information	Awareness Policies/institutional Expertise	Awareness/information Little international cooperation

Awareness/information (EE, EMS, CP/GP and CDM)

This is one of the most outstanding difficulties in our country in terms of environmental issues in general and the above issues in particular, especially at the enterprise level. Many enterprises still have not seen the benefit of applying EMS, CP/GP and still see these types of activities as extra work just like waste treatment, etc. CDM is still a very new concept in Vietnam, even many people at national management level do not aware or fully aware of this mechanism. 

International cooperation (i.e. on CDM)

The international cooperation involving EE, CP/GP, EMS and CDM is very important to promote ES in Vietnam. Beside information and awareness reason, lack of international cooperation is also why CDM activities have been low in Vietnam even though we have great potential for CDM projects. 

Technology/financial (i.e. EE)

At present, majority of factories in Vietnam is still using low grade/out of date technologies. These types of technologies either consume a comparative large amount of energy, water, raw material or discharge a large potion of those into the environment. Many factories now have been trying to buy new technology, however, due to financial difficulties, which is a very common problem, “new technologies” that they buy can not be the best available. On the other hand, R & D capacities of the research institutions as well as enterprises still low/insufficient. The need for transferring technology from developed countries is great, but there is a big barrier to this is high technology transfer cost.